Tim Coyle
Project #5

Cigarette Advertising

          Cigarettes became big business in the early part of this century, and the competition between the major tobacco companies required each to advertise extensively. In the first half of 1937 alone, RJ Reynolds and Ligett & Myers each spent two million dollars on advertising. Many of the brands used simple slogans to sell their product, such as They Satisfy, which adorned the Chesterfeild ads.

     

          Some of the more complicated early cigarette advertising campaigns were intended to address concerns people had about the negative effects of smoking. Old Gold upped it's sales greatly with the slogan "Not a Cough in a Carload." The makers of Kools claimed that their brand would keep a person's head clear and protect against colds. Philip Morris stated that three out of every four cases of smokers' cough went away for those who switched to their brands. Movie stars and other celebrities were also a big part of the smoking advertisements. Today celebrities won't publically endorse cigarettes because of their ill effects, but back then anyone who was famous would endorse their favorite brand.

     

          Many of the tobacco advertising campaigns were targeted specifically towards women, especially by the sellers of Chesterfields and Marlboros. Far fewer women smoked than men, so the tobacco companies did their best to lure this untapped market to their respective brands. These advertisements usually attempted to convince females that smoking cigarettes gave them elegance and style. One Marlboro ad read "Women quickly develop discerning taste. That is why Marlboros now ride in so many limousines, attend so many bridge parties, and repose in so many handbags."




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